The Los Angeles Lakers will hope for a change of fortunes after going 1-4 in their last five games when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Crypto.com Arena on Friday. The 76ers are currently the worst team in the East, starting the season 1-6 while dealing with a mounting injury crisis that has stopped them from playing a full-strength lineup so far this season.
The Lakers saw Anthony Davis miss his first game of the season in their blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, but the center has been listed as probably for the game against the 76ers despite a plantar fasciitis diagnosis. Given the 76ers look in worse shape than the Lakers at the moment, LA can’t let this win slip out of their hands and fall below .500 on the season.
Here are three major reasons why the Lakers will beat the 76ers, keeping Philadelphia rooted to the bottom of the East while improving their chances of a Playoff push.
1. 76ers Stars Are Injured
The 76ers are coming into this game fresh off the news that point guard Tyrese Maxey will be out for weeks due to a hamstring injury. Maxey started the season averaging 27.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists as the 76ers primary option due to the absence of co-stars Embiid and George. Maxey running the show led to a 1-4 record before Paul George debuted for the franchise, going 0-2 since.
George is expected to play, but he’ll be without Maxey and Joel Embiid, who’s currently serving a three-game suspension for shoving a journalist. It’s unclear whether Embiid would have made his season debut in this game without the suspension, but the 76ers have no hope of clearing their star big man for this contest.
The rest of the rotation has a clean bill of health but the franchise will be hoping past-their-prime stars like Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond can turn back the clock alongside George to come up with a big-time performance to defeat the Lakers who probably will have their MVP candidate Davis on the court alongside LeBron James.
2. Paul George Still Acclimating To 76ers Play Style
As previously mentioned, George’s career with the 76ers has gotten off to a 0-2 start with losses to the Phoenix Suns and his former stomping grounds, the Los Angeles Clippers. He’s averaged 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over these two games, showing in flashes why the 76ers coveted to sign him in the offseason but also why the Clippers never blossomed into a Playoff powerhouse with him on the roster.
Due to the lineup inconsistency in Philly with the absence of Embiid and George up until recently, the team hasn’t isolated a play-style that can create enough opportunity for everyone to thrive. The 76ers gave Maxey an ultimate green light to run the offense, something which presumably will be passed to George for the game against the Lakers as the 76ers can’t build an on-court philosophy until Embiid is available.
George could go off as he did against the Clippers in the first half (12 PTS, 4-4 FG) but also slows down in the face of aggressive defenses, not being able to take over during the loss to the Clippers despite shooting 7-9 from the field. The Lakers’ poor defensive rating will give George hope, but after recent losses, it seems LA will be motivated to ensure they beat the shorthanded 76ers.
3. 76ers Will Have No Answer For Davis And LeBron
Talent is a major factor in NBA games and the Lakers will enter this matchup with more talent on their side with the 76ers injuries. Even though the Lakers rotation hasn’t impressed much this season, Anthony Davis has been hailed as an MVP-level player while LeBron James is coming off a 39-point performance, proving to everyone that he’s still among the best forwards in the NBA.
Nick Nurse is a very strong defensive coach and will come up with a scheme that at least neutralizes LeBron through perimeter defenders such as George and Caleb Martin. It’s hard to say Drummond can match up to Davis individually, and Lakers players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura will have more room to excel if the 76ers are focused on limiting James and Davis.
The 76ers will either overcommit to using defensive resources against the Lakers’ top two stars or try to contain them in single coverage the best they can. If they overcommit, the Lakers are a few shots away from a big win and if they don’t overcommit, both James and Davis have the offensive talent to beat their defenders consistently.
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